"I grew up in a middle class family.. But I became working class when I was working in McDonalds"

– Conservative party leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch pic.twitter.com/anQv1MJDmT

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) September 17, 2024

'Everyone likes to define themselves as working class, even upper class people… I'm boringly middle class.'

Amid the online debate surrounding Kemi Badenoch's comments, @JamesCleverly is clear on his social background.@IainDale pic.twitter.com/PGg67oTtbz

— LBC (@LBC) September 18, 2024

Will Kemi’s class warfare work?

It’s an interesting approach from Kemi Badenoch, I suspect it won’t have much positive impact on Tory MPs but could have an impact with Tory members with her effectively telling Cambridge educated lawyer Robert Jenrick that she is prolier than thou. This is the Starmer approach who occasionally mentioned he was the son of a toolmaker, that led him to winning a majority of over 200 seats at the election.

She needs to do something as the betting markets think she will lose because she is unlikely to make the final two and Betfair continues to move away from her and the Jenrick surge continues.

I suspect going all class warfare won’t work and actually cost her support as her argument is ludicrous, there’s nothing the public hate more than middle class people trying to pass themselves off as working class.

Ironically her approach might boost Cleverly who has gently mocked her but this election is Jenrick’s election to lose.

TSE